Indian allrounder Vijay Shankar has announced his retirement from domestic cricket and the Indian Premier League (IPL), bringing an end to a career that spanned more than a decade across formats. The 35-year-old seam-bowling allrounder’s decision will now allow him to participate in overseas franchise leagues around the world. Successful Domestic Career Comes to an End Vijay Shankar enjoyed a distinguished domestic career, primarily representing Tamil Nadu, where he established himself as one of the state’s most dependable allrounders. He played a key role in leading Tamil Nadu to titles in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Deodhar Trophy before moving to Tripura ahead of the 2025-26 domestic season. His final first-class appearance proved memorable, as he smashed an unbeaten 151 against Gujarat in the Ranji Trophy in February, earning the Player-of-the-Match award in a winning cause. Over the course of his domestic career, Vijay Shankar scored: 4,253 runs in first-class cricket at an average of 46.73 2,790 List A runs at 34.87 2,583 T20 runs at a strike rate of 128.37 He also contributed significantly with the ball, claiming 154 wickets across all formats. India Career and the “3D Cricketer” Tag Vijay Shankar represented India in 21 white-ball internationals between 2018 and 2019, playing 12 ODIs and nine T20Is. He scored 223 ODI runs at an average of 31.85 and added 101 runs in T20 internationals at a strike rate of 138.35. The allrounder gained national attention ahead of the 2019 ODI World Cup when India were searching for a reliable No. 4 batter. His ability to contribute in multiple departments made him a preferred choice for the selectors. Former chief selector MSK Prasad famously described Vijay Shankar as a “three-dimensional” player because of his batting, bowling and fielding abilities, a comment that sparked widespread debate after Ambati Rayudu was overlooked for the World Cup squad. Rayudu had responded sarcastically on social media at the time, saying he had ordered “3D glasses” to watch the World Cup. Vijay Shankar later embraced the label himself and signed off his retirement post on Instagram with the words: “Your 3D cricketer.” Brief but Memorable World Cup Campaign Although his 2019 World Cup journey was cut short, Vijay Shankar produced one of the highlights of his international career during India’s victory over Pakistan at Old Trafford. He claimed two wickets in the match, including a wicket with the very first ball he bowled in World Cup cricket. However, his campaign ended prematurely after he suffered a broken toe while facing Jasprit Bumrah in the nets during the tournament. IPL Journey Across Four Franchises Vijay Shankar also enjoyed a long IPL career from 2014 to 2025, representing four franchises: Chennai Super Kings Sunrisers Hyderabad Delhi Capitals Gujarat Titans He played 78 IPL matches overall and was known for his versatility as a middle-order batter and medium-pace option. At the most recent IPL auction in December, Vijay Shankar went unsold after registering as an uncapped player, with more than five years having passed since his last appearance for India. With domestic cricket and the IPL now behind him, Vijay Shankar is expected to continue his career in overseas T20 franchise leagues.

Pakistan have recalled star batter Babar Azam for the upcoming three-match ODI series against Australia, beginning on May 30, while also handing maiden call-ups to uncapped trio Rohail Nazir, Arafat Minhas and Ahmed Daniyal. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced a 16-member squad on Friday, with Shaheen Shah Afridi continuing as captain and Salman Ali Agha appointed vice-captain. The most notable omission from the squad is wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan. Experienced Core Returns Alongside Babar Azam, Pakistan have also brought back experienced campaigners Shadab Khan and Naseem Shah. Babar and Naseem were both part of Pakistan’s last home ODI series against Sri Lanka in November 2025, where Pakistan secured a 3-0 clean sweep. For Shadab, however, this marks his return to the ODI setup for the first time since the 2023 ODI World Cup in India. Naseem’s comeback is particularly significant after an injury-hit PSL 2026 campaign. The fast bowler played only three matches before being sidelined by a back injury and later suffered another setback after limping off following a diving effort on the field. Fresh Faces Earn Opportunities The selectors have rewarded several young performers with opportunities in the ODI squad. Wicketkeeper-batter Rohail Nazir receives his first ODI call-up after consistent domestic performances, while left-arm spinner Arafat Minhas and pacer Ahmed Daniyal also earn maiden selections. Daniyal returns after recovering from a hamstring injury that limited him to only four appearances during PSL 2026. Another notable inclusion is left-arm wristspinner Sufyan Moqim, who enjoyed a breakthrough PSL season with Peshawar Zalmi. Moqim claimed 22 wickets in the tournament and was named Player of the Series. His last ODI appearance came against West Indies in August 2025. Rizwan Omitted, Injuries Continue to Hurt Pakistan Mohammad Rizwan’s absence from the ODI squad is the biggest surprise in the announcement. The PCB did not provide a detailed explanation regarding his omission. Pakistan will also be without key top-order batters Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman due to injuries, while Usman Khan has been ruled out because of illness. All three players had also missed Pakistan’s recent ODI tour of Bangladesh in March. In their absence, Pakistan have retained youngsters Sahibzada Farhan, Maaz Sadaqat and Shamyl Hussain, all of whom made their ODI debuts during the Bangladesh series. Bangladesh Tour Led to Major Changes Pakistan’s most recent ODI assignment came against Bangladesh earlier this year, where the team experimented heavily with new players and handed debuts to six cricketers across the three-match series. However, the strategy failed to produce the desired results as Pakistan lost the series 2-1. Several players from that squad — including Faisal Akram, Faheem Ashraf, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Wasim Jnr and Saad Masood — have now been dropped for the Australia series. Pakistan ODI Squad vs Australia Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Salman Ali Agha (vice-captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Maaz Sadaqat, Ghazi Ghori (wk), Naseem Shah, Rohail Nazir (wk), Sahibzada Farhan, Shadab Khan, Shamyl Hussain, Sufyan Moqim.

Gujarat Titans (GT) star spinner Rashid Khan believes handling failure is just as important as enjoying success, a mindset he says has helped him rediscover his best form during IPL 2026. Fresh from GT’s commanding 89-run win over Chennai Super Kings (CSK) that confirmed a top-two finish for the franchise, Rashid signed off his post-match media interaction with a cheerful Gujarati phrase — “Ekdum majama” (absolutely fine) — a reflection of both his team’s dominant season and his own return to form. Rashid Returns to His Best Rashid produced another match-winning spell against CSK, dismantling the lower middle order with figures of 3 for 18 in just two overs. The performance lifted him to fourth place in the Purple Cap standings with 19 wickets this season. After enduring two underwhelming IPL campaigns in 2024 and 2025, Rashid has bounced back strongly in 2026. He has not only improved his wicket tally but also tightened his economy rate, showing signs of the bowler who has dominated T20 cricket for nearly a decade. Against CSK, however, his spell did not begin smoothly. Introduced in the 11th over with CSK struggling at 109 for 5 while chasing 230, Rashid was immediately attacked. Shivam Dube smashed him for six off a full delivery, but the Afghanistan spinner responded instantly. Dube fell on the next ball thanks to a brilliant running catch from GT captain Shubman Gill. Rashid was hit for another six by Anshul Kamboj later in the over but recovered superbly to finish with three wickets. “In a game where you are defending 230, you are going to go for runs,” Rashid said after the match. “The batters have no option but to attack you. As a bowler, the challenge is to make it as difficult as possible for them to hit boundaries.” He admitted his first delivery to Dube was too easy to hit and said he quickly adjusted his line and length to force the batter into riskier shots. Learning From Failure Rashid credited his comeback to mental resilience and his ability to remain consistent even during difficult phases. “You have good days and bad days, and the way you manage yourself on good days, you must manage yourself similarly on bad days,” he explained. “Whenever I had a bad day, I never let it stay too much in my mind. Bad days teach you a lot, and that is how you improve.” The 27-year-old reflected on one of the toughest moments of his career — conceding 110 runs in nine overs against England during the 2019 ODI World Cup. “That game taught me a lot,” he said. “You cannot suddenly change your action or pace. The one thing you can control is hitting the right areas consistently.” Rashid revealed that despite results, his practice routines remain unchanged. After every game, he studies his bowling pitch maps closely with the team analyst to assess where he landed most of his deliveries and identify areas for improvement. “What matters most to me is where I pitch the ball,” he said. “If I miss my line or length, I want to understand why. I focus on that rather than the result.” Strong Season for GT Rashid’s improved form has mirrored Gujarat Titans’ resurgence this season. After winning the IPL title in their debut season in 2022 and finishing runners-up in 2023, GT slipped to eighth place in 2024. They reached the playoffs in 2025 largely due to the batting brilliance of Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler, while Rashid struggled for consistency. This season, however, both GT’s batting and bowling units have clicked together. Rashid has already taken 19 wickets at a much-improved economy rate of 8.72 compared to his difficult 2025 campaign, where he managed only nine wickets in 15 games. GT have also continued to establish themselves as one of the IPL’s most successful modern franchises. Since joining the tournament in 2022, they possess the best win-loss ratio in the league at 1.642, ahead of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s 1.433. “Winning nine games out of 14 is a great feeling,” Rashid said. “We are not thinking too much about finishing top two or top four. The focus is simply on keeping things simple, and the results will follow.

After another underwhelming IPL season that saw Lucknow Super Giants finish at the bottom of the table, the franchise may be heading toward major changes ahead of IPL 2027. But amid the disappointment, Australian wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis has emerged as one of the few positives for the team. LSG’s global director of cricket, Tom Moody, admitted after the season that the side struggled to balance performances with both bat and ball. “Both bat and ball performing at the same time was always a challenge,” Moody said after LSG endured a poor campaign following seventh-place finishes in IPL 2024 and IPL 2025. Inglis, who was surprisingly released by Punjab Kings after disagreements over his availability due to his wedding during IPL 2026, proved to be one of LSG’s smartest acquisitions. The franchise backed him despite concerns around his availability, and he repaid that faith with a string of impactful performances in the latter half of the season. Playing only the final five matches of the tournament, Inglis scored 266 runs at a stunning strike rate of 186.01, including three half-centuries. Remarkably, despite featuring in just five games, he finished as LSG’s third-highest run-scorer of the season behind Mitchell Marsh (563 runs) and captain Rishabh Pant (312 runs). His tally also surpassed contributions from established stars such as Aiden Markram, who scored 231 runs in 11 innings, and Nicholas Pooran, who managed 234 runs in 14 matches. Former India batter Ambati Rayudu praised Inglis for his adaptability and batting intelligence, describing him as one of the most complete overseas batters in the tournament. “He’s so versatile,” Rayudu said on ESPNcricinfo TimeOut. “He’s good against slower deliveries, good against every length, and perfectly suited to subcontinent conditions. He plays spin brilliantly, uses lap shots well, hits straight down the ground, and has every shot in the book.” Rayudu also compared Inglis favourably with Finn Allen of Kolkata Knight Riders, highlighting Inglis’ superior shot selection and ability to score all around the wicket. “Finn Allen is aggressive but one-dimensional. Josh Inglis is not. He manipulates the field brilliantly and plays spin exceptionally well,” Rayudu added. Former South Africa wicketkeeper-batter Mark Boucher echoed those sentiments, calling Inglis one of the toughest batters to bowl to during the powerplay. “There’s a smartness to his cricket,” Boucher said. “He keeps moving the field around and adapts quickly. If bowlers bring fielders up, he hits over them. If they go fuller, he can still hit straight. He’s incredibly difficult to bowl to when he’s confident.” Despite Inglis’ late-season heroics, LSG’s overall campaign was plagued by inconsistency. Moody admitted the team failed to click collectively, particularly in the batting department. “The batting didn’t click at all for a large part of the season,” Moody explained. “We didn’t get the dynamic starts we wanted, and our middle order failed to contribute consistently.” The disappointing campaign has already sparked speculation over significant structural changes within the franchise, including a possible rethink around Pant’s leadership. Moody confirmed that “all things” would be considered during the team’s review process. However, one thing appears increasingly certain: Inglis has likely done enough to secure a major role in LSG’s future plans. With his aggressive yet intelligent batting style complementing compatriot Marsh perfectly, the Australian could become a key pillar around which the franchise rebuilds for IPL 2027.

Punjab Kings may have finally snapped their six-match losing streak in IPL 2026, but concerns around star pacer Arshdeep Singh continue to grow after another expensive outing against Lucknow Super Giants in Lucknow. Arshdeep endured yet another difficult spell on Saturday, conceding runs at an alarming economy rate of 17.33 as Lucknow Super Giants scored at 9.80 runs per over. The left-arm pacer was so ineffective that Punjab Kings chose not to give him his final over. Former India batter Ambati Rayudu believes the issue lies primarily in Arshdeep’s bowling lengths. Speaking on ESPNcricinfo’s TimeOut show, Rayudu pointed out that the pacer has drifted away from the fuller lengths that once made him such a dangerous bowler. “He’s not someone who should be bowling a lot of short deliveries,” Rayudu said. “Even at the death, he should rely more on yorkers. His strength has always been pitching the ball up and allowing it to swing.” Rayudu also suggested that Arshdeep may not possess the same sharpness he showed earlier in the year, hinting at possible physical fatigue after a packed international season. “Maybe because of his body being tired, he doesn’t have the same juice as a few months back,” Rayudu added. “If he has to compensate, he needs to bowl fuller.” Statistically, Arshdeep’s dip in form has been evident throughout IPL 2026. In IPL 2025, the pacer enjoyed significant success with fuller and good-length deliveries, taking 10 wickets at an economy rate of 8.45. This season, however, those same deliveries have produced only seven wickets while leaking runs at 9.91 per over. Against Lucknow, Arshdeep bowled 12 of his 18 deliveries either full or on a good length, while only six deliveries were short or back of a length. Despite that, almost every variation he attempted was punished by the batters. Former South Africa wicketkeeper-batter Mark Boucher believes fatigue from international cricket and the IPL workload may be the main reason behind the decline. “I think it’s just being tired after the T20 World Cup and then coming straight into the IPL,” Boucher said. “It’s natural for fatigue to catch up with players. I don’t think it has anything to do with his skill or talent.” Arshdeep was one of India’s standout performers during the 2024 T20 World Cup campaign, operating as the team’s second frontline pacer behind Jasprit Bumrah. He finished the tournament with nine wickets from eight matches as India lifted the trophy. However, his IPL 2026 campaign has been far from convincing. The left-arm quick has managed 14 wickets in 14 matches while conceding runs at an economy rate of 10.20. He is also one of only two bowlers this season to concede more than 500 runs, alongside Anshul Kamboj of Chennai Super Kings. Despite the poor form, Arshdeep remains a crucial part of Punjab Kings’ setup. With the team still mathematically in contention depending on Sunday’s results, the pacer could get another opportunity to rediscover his rhythm and salvage what has otherwise been a disappointing season.

The race for the Orange Cap and Purple Cap in IPL 2026 has intensified as the league stage nears its conclusion, with several players making significant moves after the clash between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Friday. Despite no change at the top, Heinrich Klaasen surged to third place in the Orange Cap standings after a blistering 51 off 24 balls against RCB. The explosive SRH batter now has 606 runs from 14 innings this season. The leaderboard continues to be headed by B Sai Sudharsan of Gujarat Titans, who has accumulated 638 runs, while teammate and captain Shubman Gill remains second with 616 runs. Young Vaibhav Sooryavanshi of Rajasthan Royals occupies fourth position with 579 runs. Another SRH batter, Ishan Kishan, moved into the top five after his match-winning 79 off 46 deliveries against RCB. Kishan now has 569 runs in the tournament and continues to enjoy his best-ever IPL season. Purple Cap Battle Tightens In the Purple Cap standings, Bhuvneshwar Kumar of Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Kagiso Rabada of Gujarat Titans remain tied at the top with 24 wickets each. Bhuvneshwar, however, continues to hold the Purple Cap due to his superior economy rate of 8.07, compared to Rabada’s 9.18. The RCB pacer went wicketless in Friday’s game but retained his position at the summit. Anshul Kamboj of Chennai Super Kings is next on the list with 21 wickets. GT spinner Rashid Khan sits fourth with 19 wickets, narrowly ahead of SRH pacer Eshan Malinga, who also has 19 wickets after registering figures of 2 for 33 against RCB. Rashid remains ahead because of his better economy rate of 8.71, while Malinga’s economy stands at 9.27. With the playoffs approaching, both the batting and bowling charts remain closely contested, setting up an exciting finish to the IPL 2026 league stage.